Marrakech never disappoints. The well-heeled tourists mingling with the snake charmers and acrobats on the Djemma El Fna may be cut from different cloth from the fellow scruffy backpackers on my first visit years ago but it is still wonderfully exotic.

Particularly at dusk, when the whole city seems to be on the streets as the call to prayer rings out from the Koutoubia mosque. A quick dive into the Berber market in the medina and you're enveloped by the smell of spices and baking bread, and a cacophony of noise: hawkers selling their wares, Arab pop blaring from cafés, and new 'friends' trying to engage you in conversation — and no doubt offer to be a guide — by guessing your language. 'Arrivederci'!' didn't work for me — who could possibly think I looked Italian?

One of the wonders of Marrakech is how you can escape this madness by popping into a riad courtyard, where trickling fountains and jasmine scents offer such a soothing sense of calm. It's this contrast that has made the Red City so trendy, with every film star and fashion designer popping over. ‘Boutique’ is the buzzword now.

My escape on this occasion was 15 minutes outside town to the Haouz Plain en route to the Atlas Mountains. This flat, fertile area was earmarked almost a decade ago for golf, with the great Jack Nicklaus among those putting his name to new courses. A grand vision saw at least a dozen planned, and then the crash came. At last, though, some sort of recovery is taking place.

PIN HIGH IN THE RED CITY - gallery

PIN HIGH IN THE RED CITY - gallery

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The junior suite at the Royal Palm

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The 5th hole on the golf course at the Royal Palm

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Le Bar at the Royal Palm hotel

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The Royal Palm hotel

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Le Caravane at the Royal Palm

Evidence comes in the opening of the Royal Palm Marrakech, a five-star plus hotel owned by the Beachcomber Group, best known as luxury specialists in Mauritius and Seychelles. Bringing over the brand, complete with a championship golf course designed by Cabell B. Robinson, promises to at last open up this corner of Morocco as a serious golf travel destination.

The Royal Palm is not quite finished but there is enough to see the potential. Built on land that includes a working olive farm, it centres around 135 villas and suites created with a blend of Moroccan style — Zuoak wood paintings, Berber carpets — and French contemporary finishes. Add to that modern comforts such as flatscreen HD televisions and Nespresso machine and you get the picture. Those flush enough to stay in one of five Presidential Suites will, apart from having enough room (320 sq m) to accommodate a large family, have their own jacuzzi on a balcony with sun loungers.

Our first impression of the Royal Palm was actually quite understated. A turn-off onto a dusty road, past gangs of labourers clearing up around unfinished villas. But when you arrive at the striking lobby — high ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers — you get 'the view': the snowcapped Atlas set against blue skies, with an infinity pool, strategically placed palms and the golf course in the foreground. Give me that camera now.

To further emphasise the luxury touch, Michelin-starred chef Philippe Jourdin, previously at Terre Blanche in the South of France, has been hired to oversee four restaurants. These will include the Al Ain, specialising in Moroccan cuisine. I would have loved to try traditional dishes given the stellar twist but Al Ain is not due to open until September. Instead we relaxed in the informal L'Olivier, al fresco dining next to the huge pool that stretches across the front of the hotel. Dishes include spider crab from Essaouira with green salad, helped by a wine list including impressive varieties from Morocco. Standing out was the S de Siroua 2009 Chardonnay from Domaine Ouled Taleb, from the hills inland from Casablanca.

There is also a sports club with its own pool, gym and squash court, four tennis courts, a kids club, butler service... I could go on. But the success of the Royal Palm will surely rest with the golf. The 6730m par 72 is very much a resort course, not some golfing Everest. It is beautifully maintained, with true, neat greens, a surprising amount of water and shallow bunkers all in the same wavy design.

A wide open fairway at the first tee eases you in, and a first sighter of the Atlas Mountains comes at the third. The view is a regular distraction — concentrate hard on testing holes such as the par three 7 or you’ll be hooking the ball feebly into the water. But it’s a thoroughly enjoyable round, and when the clubhouse is finished, again allegedly in September, expect the numbers to swell.

Another trick up its sleeve will be the spa, opening on May 15 — it will be the biggest in Marrakech and the only Clarins spa in Morocco. Until then, guests can enjoy treatments in four temporary suites. I found a one-hour massage with honey to be just the ticket after 18 punishing holes in the heat (though you’ll be so relaxed you could nod off halfway through your dinner tagine).

Such pampering, but ultimately the sun is the great attraction — compared to Med favourites, Morocco gets an extra six or so weeks a year of perfect warmth. And then of course you have the unique allure of the Red City itself — as I said, Marrakech never disappoints.